1. iOS 18 — what's next for iPhone?
2. iPadOS 18 — will Apple finally unleash the power of iPad?
3. macOS 15 — what's new for Mac?
4. Apple Intelligence — what will it be able to do?
Although CarPlay wasn’t mentioned in the WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple has released two new videos for developers that help explain what its next-generation CarPlay is capable of.
In case you missed the announcements, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and Apple Intelligence were all showcased at the June 10 keynote. If you own one of the compatible devices that can use one of these updates, you’ll likely find something useful for you.
When it comes to new features for CarPlay, Apple has released two new videos for developers. The first video is called ‘Meet the next generation of CarPlay architecture’, which goes into detail about how this update works. The second, called ‘Say hello to the next generation of CarPlay design system’ showcases what can be done with this next generation of CarPlay from a user interface perspective. However, some of what’s featured in these videos may seem familiar. Apple originally unveiled this new version of CarPlay back at WWDC 2022. At the time, Apple promised more details about this update toward the end of 2023. Since then, however, we’ve only received confirmation from a few car manufacturers stating their support for the new version of CarPlay.
Apple has been quiet on the details, but thanks to these videos, we have a clearer idea of how this new CarPlay can adapt to different vehicles. With this in mind, we’ve listed the new features expected in this upcoming update, tentatively scheduled to arrive in some cars by the end of the year.
Different layouts
The current version of CarPlay can be displayed on a single monitor, found between the driver and passenger seats. For this new version, car vendors have complete control, with support for adding speedometers, branded colors, different gauges, and more across the whole dashboard.
These gauges can also be resized to fit the shape of most car interiors. For example, if one dashboard is curved, the speed gauges can be resized to fit this.
Apple ultimately wants to make sure that the user interface of CarPlay is still easy to use when driving but can offer an appearance that matches the car manufacturers' brand — from the colors to the typography.
These layouts can also adapt to certain features of some cars. Climate control, tire pressure, seats, and external cameras can now be integrated with this new version of CarPlay. This means that any settings for these new features can be accessed directly within this next generation of CarPlay.
Gauge Customization
Gauges are the most important elements of a car dashboard, displaying important information such as speed, fuel level, or remaining electric charge. With this next generation of CarPlay, car manufacturers essentially have a blank canvas to design their gauges.
They can choose from a variety of typography options, as well as colors, sizes, and styles for the tick marks, which indicate the measurements on these gauges.
Dynamic Content
Dynamic Content are widgets for your car that can be placed across the dashboard. For this upcoming version of CarPlay, a manufacturer can add the following:
- Maps
- Calendar
- Clock
- Weather
- Charging
- Tire Pressure
- Seatbelt Alert
- ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance system)
- Music
These can all be displayed in three layouts in order to fit several sizes. Dynamic Content is also the default place for notifications. If you receive a bunch of notifications from Messages, Slack, and more, they will show in the Dynamic Content area of your car.
As per the video, the company plans to show dynamic content on the Passenger’s side. This could allude to Apple TV Plus shows being displayed, though the video didn’t elaborate further.
Supported Car manufacturers
The following car vendors are reportedly still committed to bringing this next-generation of CarPlay to their vehicles soon, including:
- Acura
- Aston Martin
- Audi
- Ford
- Honda
- Infiniti
- Jaguar
- Land Rover
- Lincoln
- Mercedes-Benz
- Nissan
- Polestar
- Porsche
- Renault
- Volvo
Thanks to the customization that’s offered in this next generation of CarPlay, you can expect each manufacturer to apply their own style to Apple’s operating system in the car — from the speed gauges to the dynamic content areas.
Release Date
Although you can download the iOS 18 developer beta right now, as well as iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 Sequoia, you can’t download this next generation of CarPlay for your current car.
Apple still says that this update is coming later this year, but has not provided any more details. Hopefully, we’ll soon hear more about when this new version of CarPlay will be coming, as well as the cars it will support.
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